Leg Padding Device

ABSTRACT

A leg padding device for providing comfort to a user&#39;s lower leg when wearing knee-high boots or other lower leg covering garments. The leg padding device includes a fabric panel having padding or cushioning thereon. A first side of the panel includes one or more securement straps that extend outward from the panel and that include a fastener thereon. A second side of the panel includes one or more fasteners adapted to engage with the fasteners on the straps. In this way, the leg padding device can be easily adorned by wrapping the panel around the user&#39;s lower leg and securing the fasteners on opposing sides thereof. A lower end of the panel further includes an arch shaped cut-out adapted to be placed over the front of a user&#39;s ankle when the leg padding device is worn by a user.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/948,079 filed on Mar. 5, 2014. The above identified patent application is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety to provide continuity of disclosure.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a leg padding device. More specifically, the present invention provides a padded fabric panel having fasteners on opposing sides thereof such that the panel can be wrapped around a user's calf and secured using the fasteners thereon. The device helps to improve comfort to a user wearing knee-high boots, cowboy boots, or other similar types of footwear and leg covering garments.

Dancers and other performers often wear various costumes that include leg coverings, knee-high boots, or other similar garments. Such footwear and garments can be uncomfortable to wear as the boots may rub against the dancer's leg, causing irritation and discomfort. Such irritation may be distracting for the performer and may negatively affect the dancer's performance.

As a result, many performers tape padding and fabric around their legs in order to provide cushioning thereto while wearing knee-high boots or similar garments. However, the tape and padding may come loose during a performance, potentially interrupting the performance. Further, the tape and padding must be reapplied during every performance, which can be inconvenient and time consuming. Thus, a leg padding device to improve comfort to a user's leg while wearing knee-high boots or similar footwear is desired.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Devices have been disclosed in the prior art that relate to foot and leg covering devices. These include devices that have been patented and published in patent application publications. These devices generally relate to tubular foot and leg coverings. The following is a list of devices deemed most relevant to the present disclosure, which are herein described for the purposes of highlighting and differentiating the unique aspects of the present invention, and further highlighting the drawbacks existing in the prior art.

One such device, U.S. Pat. No. 7,533,424 to Symonds-Powell discloses a convertible sock/slipper legwarmer. The device comprises a sock-like tube to be disposed over a user's foot and leg. The device includes an opening adjacent the closed end through which a user's foot can be passed. Thus, Symonds-Powell fails to disclose a lower leg covering device comprising a panel that can be wrapped around a user's lower leg and secured thereon via fasteners on opposing sides of the panel.

Another device, U.S. Pat. No. 4,756,027 to Buenos et al. discloses a cuff construction having accessible coverings for a user's hands or feet. The cuff is integrated on an article of clothing and is adapted to fold in on itself for storage. The cuff is formed at the opening of a garment and can be folded for storage, or can be placed in a closed position for covering a user's hand or foot. Thus, Buenos et al. discloses a cuff that can be used to removably cover a user's hand or foot, and fails to disclose a leg covering device that can be wrapped around and secured on a user's lower leg.

U.S. Published Patent Application Number 2013/0184622 to Farrow discloses a method of selecting and using a compression garment. The method includes the step of selecting a compression sleeve to be placed over a user's muscle, such as the calf. The compression sleeve preferably comprises material of short-stretch function or inelastic function. A user can insert a limb into an opening on the compression garment so as to position the compression garment in a desired location. Thus, Farrow relates to a method of wearing a compression garment, and Farrow fails to disclose a leg covering comprising a panel that can be wrapped around a user's lower leg and secured via fasteners thereon.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,105,173 to Brown discloses a sock system comprising a foot portion and a removable tubular leg portion. A lower end of the leg portion can be attached to the outer periphery of the opening of the foot portion. The foot portion comprises an undyed flexible, woven cotton material while the leg portion comprises a dyed fabric material. Thus, Brown discloses a sock system and fails to disclose a leg padding device comprising a panel that can be wrapped around a user's lower leg and secured thereon.

U.S. Pat. No. 8,603,019 to Hermanson et al. discloses a joint compression wrap. The joint compression wrap comprises an oversized joint pouch that is free from wrinkles when worn. A lower limb portion extends downward from the joint pouch and has a constant compression force. An upper limb portion extends upward from the joint pouch and includes a graduated compression force. Thus, Hermanson et al. discloses a compression wrap to be disposed on a user's joint, and fails to disclose a leg padding device to be disposed around a user's lower leg.

Finally, U.S. Published Patent Application Number 2013/0305570 to Blake discloses a footwear and lower leg covering. The device comprises a boot upper portion and an upstanding leg cover portion adapted to wrap around a user's lower leg. The boot upper portion includes an enclosed toe cap that wraps around the cap of a user's footwear and extends thereunder. The upstanding leg cover includes a body region having a first and second separable edges that join together on the backside of a user's leg. Thus, Blake discloses a footwear and lower leg covering and fails to disclose a panel that can be wrapped around a user's leg, wherein the panel includes an arch-shaped cut out thereon that is adapted to be disposed over the front of a user's ankle.

These prior art devices have several known drawbacks. Devices in the prior art generally relate to foot and leg coverings having a tubular construction. Such devices are composed of flexible fabric materials and do not include padding for providing comfort to a user while wearing a high-boot or similar leg covering or garment. Several devices relate to combined foot and leg coverings and do not relate to a leg covering to be removably disposed around a user's lower leg. The present invention allows a user to easily provide padding to the lower leg without covering the user's foot.

In light of the devices disclosed in the prior art, it is submitted that the present invention substantially diverges in design elements from the prior art and consequently it is clear that there is a need in the art for an improvement to existing leg padding devices. In this regard the instant invention substantially fulfills these needs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of leg padding devices now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new leg padding device wherein the same can be utilized for providing convenience for the user when wearing knee-high boots or other lower leg covering footwear or garments.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved leg padding device that has all of the advantages of the prior art and none of the disadvantages.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a leg padding device comprising a fabric panel that can be removably wrapped around a user's lower leg and calf to provide comfort to the user.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a leg padding device comprising fasteners on opposing ends thereof adapted to engage in an overlapping fashion in order to secure the leg padding device on a user's lower leg.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a leg padding device comprising an arch shaped cut-out on a lower end thereof adapted to be placed over the front of a user's ankle when the leg padding device is in use.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a leg padding device that may be readily fabricated from materials that permit relative economy and are commensurate with durability.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS

Although the characteristic features of this invention will be particularly pointed out in the claims, the invention itself and manner in which it may be made and used may be better understood after a review of the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like numeral annotations are provided throughout.

FIG. 1A shows a planar view of the exterior of the leg covering device of the present invention.

FIG. 1B shows a planar view of the interior of the leg covering device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the leg covering device as positioned around a user's leg.

FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the leg covering device as worn by a user.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Reference is made herein to the attached drawings. Like reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to depict like or similar elements of the leg padding device of the present invention. For the purposes of presenting a brief and clear description of the present invention, the preferred embodiment will be discussed as used for providing cushioning to a user's lower leg while the user is wearing knee-high boots or other similar footwear or garments. The figures are intended for representative purposes only and should not be considered to be limiting in any respect.

Referring now to FIGS. 1A and 1B, there are shown planar views of the exterior and interior of the leg covering device of the present invention, respectively. The leg covering device 11 comprises a panel 12 that is preferably rectangular in shape and is composed of a durable fabric material. The panel 12 may further include one or more layers of padding to further improve comfort and cushioning to the user's leg. The panel 12 is adapted to be wrapped around a user's lower leg and worn underneath a knee-high boot or similar leg covering. Thus, the panel 12 is flexible enough to be wrapped around the user's lower leg, but is sufficiently rigid so that it will not bend or bunch when an article of footwear is disposed thereover. The interior surface 18 is placed directly against the user's lower leg and may include a soft or cushioned layer. The exterior surface 17 faces outward from the user's leg and may include layers of padding thereon, or a waterproof or weatherproof material.

The panel 12 includes a first side 13 opposite a second side 14. The first side 13 of the panel 12 includes one or more fasteners 15 on the exterior surface 17 thereof. Similarly, the second side 14 includes one or more straps 16 secured to the exterior surface 17, wherein each strap 16 includes a fastener 20 on a surface thereof. Each of the straps 16 has the same shape and dimensions. The straps 16 are permanently affixed to the exterior surface 17 and extend outward from the panel 12. The straps 16 are arranged in a row and are parallel to one another. Further, the straps 16 are preferably spaced at a fixed interval along the second side 14 of the panel 12.

The fasteners 20 on the straps 16 are adapted to engage in an overlapping fashion with the fasteners 15 on the exterior surface 17 of the first side 13 of the panel 12 when the panel 12 is disposed around a user's lower leg. Preferably, the fasteners 15, 20 on the first and second sides 13, 14 of the panel 12, respectively, comprise hook and loop fastening material. However, in other embodiments, the fasteners may include buttons, snaps, magnets, zippers, or other similar fasteners. The fasteners 15, 20 allow the panel 12 to be adjustably secured on any user's lower leg.

Referring now to FIG. 2, there is shown a perspective view of the leg covering device as positioned around a user's leg. In operation, the panel 12 can be disposed around the user's lower leg or calf such that the first and second sides thereof are positioned on the back of the user's calf. The straps 16 on the exterior surface of the panel 12 extend outward from the panel 12 and the fasteners 20 thereon can be placed in overlapping relation with the fasteners 15 on the first side of the panel 12. The straps 16 include fasteners 20 thereon adapted to removably engage with the fasteners 15 on the panel 12 so as to secure the leg covering device 11 in position around a user's leg. The panel 12 provides padding and cushioning to a user's leg so as to improve comfort to the user when the user wears a boot or other leg covering on his or her lower leg by preventing the boot from coming into direct contact with the user's lower leg.

Referring now to FIG. 3, there is shown a perspective view of the leg covering device as worn by a user. The panel 12 includes an arch shaped cut out 19 on a lower portion thereof. The arch-shaped cutout 19 is preferably centrally positioned on the panel 12 and is adapted to be positioned over the front of the user's ankle when the leg padding device 11 of the present invention is worn by a user. In this way, the leg covering device 11 does not interfere with the user's ability to bend and move his or her ankle while wearing the device 11.

It is therefore submitted that the instant invention has been shown and described in what is considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments. It is recognized, however, that departures may be made within the scope of the invention and that obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art. With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention.

Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention. 

I claim:
 1. A leg padding device for covering the lower leg of a user, comprising: a panel having a first side opposite a second side; said first side having one or more fasteners thereon; said second side having one or more straps thereon, wherein said one or more straps comprise fasteners thereon; wherein said one or more fasteners on said first side are adapted to removably engage with said fasteners on said one or more straps.
 2. The leg padding device of claim 1, wherein said panel is composed of fabric.
 3. The leg padding device of claim 1, wherein said panel includes one or more layers of padding.
 4. The leg padding device of claim 1, wherein said panel is substantially rectangular.
 5. The leg padding device of claim 1, wherein said one or more fasteners on said first side include hook and loop fastening material, and wherein said fasteners on said one or more straps comprise hook and loop fastening material.
 6. The leg padding device of claim 1, wherein said one or more straps extend outward from said panel.
 7. The leg padding device of claim 1, wherein a lower end of said panel includes an arch-shaped cut out adapted to be positioned over a user's ankle when said panel is disposed around a lower leg of a user.
 8. The leg padding device of claim 7, wherein said arch-shaped cut out is disposed centrally on said panel.
 9. The leg padding device of claim 1, wherein said panel is semi-rigid. 